ScienceDaily: Top News

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• Molecular path from internal clock to cells controlling rest and activity revealed
• Fall of Communism changed mathematics in US
• Scientists develop biological computer to encrypt and decipher images
• Drinking large amounts of soft drinks associated with asthma and COPD
• Scientists use old theory to discover new targets in fight against breast cancer
• Scared of a younger rival? Not for some male songbirds
• Discovery uses 'fracture putty' to repair broken bone in days
• Ancient seagrass holds secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth
• Mars Express radar yields strong evidence of ocean that once covered part of Red Planet
• 2011 shark attacks remain steady, deaths highest since 1993
• Ovarian cancer risk related to inherited inflammation genes
• Innovation promises expanded roles for microsensors
• New diet: Top off breakfast with -- chocolate cake?
• Vitamin D deficiency high among trauma patients
• A bronze Russian doll: The metal in the metal in the metal
• Knee replacement may lower a patient's risk for mortality and heart failure, study suggests
• Competitive soccer linked to increased injuries and menstrual dysfunction in girls
• Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil
• Scientists 'record' magnetic breakthrough
• Americans' knowledge of polar regions up, but not their concern
• First remote-control leg lengthening implant cleared by the FDA
• New anti-aging treatments make it easier to turn back the clock
• Study of live human neurons reveals Parkinson's origins
• Low-cost instrument developed by high school students could aid severe weather research
• Why bad immunity genes survive: Study implicates arms race between genes and germs
• Neanderthal demise due to many influences, including cultural changes
• The dark path to antisocial personality disorder
• Why the middle finger has such a slow connection
• Rapid bone loss as possible side effect of anti-obesity drug
• New stinky flower: Our amorphophallus is smaller, but it stinks like its big cousin
• Engineers boost computer processor performance by over 20 percent
• Redder ladybirds more deadly, say scientists
• Invasive alien predator causes rapid declines of European ladybugs
• Smoking associated with more rapid cognitive decline in men
• Nanorod-assembled order affects diffusion rate and direction
• The butterfly effect in nanotech medical diagnostics
• Sharp images from the living mouse brain
• Zinc linked to breast cancer: Insight into body's zinc controls has implications for disease
• Researchers develop method of directing stem cells to increase bone formation and bone strength

Molecular path from internal clock to cells controlling rest and activity revealed Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:28 PM PST The molecular pathway that carries time-of-day signals from the body's internal clock to ultimately guide daily behavior is like a black box, says a researcher. Now, new research is taking a peek inside, describing a molecular pathway and its inner parts that connect the well-known clock neurons to cells governing rhythms of rest and activity in fruit flies.

Fall of Communism changed mathematics in US Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:28 PM PST The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 brought an influx of Soviet mathematicians to US institutions, and those scholars' differing areas of specialization have changed the way math is studied and taught in this country, according to new research.

Scientists develop biological computer to encrypt and decipher images Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:28 PM PST Scientists have developed a "biological computer" made entirely from biomolecules that is capable of deciphering images encrypted on DNA chips.

Drinking large amounts of soft drinks associated with asthma and COPD Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:28 PM PST A high level of soft drink consumption is associated with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to new research.

Scientists use old theory to discover new targets in fight against breast cancer Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:24 PM PST Reviving a theory first proposed in the late 1800s that the development of organs in the normal embryo and the development of cancers are related, scientists have studied organ development in mice to unravel how breast cancers, and perhaps other cancers, develop in people. Their findings provide new ways to predict and personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Scared of a younger rival? Not for some male songbirds Posted: 07 Feb 2012 05:23 PM PST When mature male white-crowned sparrows duel to win a mate or a nesting territory, a young bird just doesn't get much respect.

Discovery uses 'fracture putty' to repair broken bone in days Posted: 07 Feb 2012 04:34 PM PST Broken bones in humans and animals are painful and often take months to heal. New research shows promise to shorten healing time significantly and revolutionize the course of fracture treatment.

Ancient seagrass holds secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:25 PM PST It's big, it's old and it lives under the sea -- and now an international research collaboration has confirmed that an ancient seagrass holds the secrets of the oldest living organism on Earth. Ancient giant Posidonia oceanica reproduces asexually, generating clones of itself. A single organism -- which has been found to span up to 15 kilometers in width and reach more than 6,000 metric tonnes in mass -- may well be more than 100,000 years old.

Mars Express radar yields strong evidence of ocean that once covered part of Red Planet Posted: 07 Feb 2012 12:18 PM PST ESA's Mars Express has returned strong evidence for an ocean once covering part of Mars. Using radar, it has detected sediments reminiscent of an ocean floor within the boundaries of previously identified, ancient shorelines on Mars.

2011 shark attacks remain steady, deaths highest since 1993 Posted: 07 Feb 2012 11:21 AM PST Shark attacks in the US declined in 2011, but worldwide fatalities reached a two-decade high, according to the a new report.

Ovarian cancer risk related to inherited inflammation genes Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:38 AM PST Genes that are known to be involved in inflammation were found to be related to risk of ovarian cancer.

Innovation promises expanded roles for microsensors Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:37 AM PST Researchers have learned how to improve the performance of sensors that use tiny vibrating microcantilevers to detect chemical and biological agents for applications from national security to food processing.

New diet: Top off breakfast with -- chocolate cake? Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:37 AM PST In a study of nearly 200 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults, a researcher found that a 600-calorie breakfast that includes dessert as well as proteins and carbohydrates can help dieters lose weight and keep it off over the long term. Her research indicates that such a morning meal staves off cravings and defuses psychological addictions to sweet foods.

Vitamin D deficiency high among trauma patients Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:37 AM PST New research has found that 77 percent of trauma patients had deficient or insufficient levels of vitamin D.

A bronze Russian doll: The metal in the metal in the metal Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:37 AM PST Just like in the Russian wooden toy, a hull of 12 copper atoms encases a single tin atom. This hull is, in turn, enveloped by 20 further tin atoms. Scientists have now generated these spatial structures built up in three layers as isolated metal clusters in alloys. With their large surfaces these structures can serve as highly efficient catalysts.

Knee replacement may lower a patient's risk for mortality and heart failure, study suggests Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:36 AM PST New research highlights the benefits of total knee replacement.

Competitive soccer linked to increased injuries and menstrual dysfunction in girls Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:36 AM PST In the US, there are nearly three million youth soccer players, and half of them are female. New research has found that despite reporting appropriate body perception and attitudes toward eating, elite youth soccer athletes face an increased risk for delayed or irregular menstruation.

Entire genome of extinct human decoded from fossil Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:36 AM PST Scientists have completed the genome sequence of a Denisovan, a representative of an Asian group of extinct humans related to Neanderthals.

Scientists 'record' magnetic breakthrough Posted: 07 Feb 2012 10:35 AM PST Scientists have demonstrated a revolutionary new way of magnetic recording which will allow information to be processed hundreds of times faster than by current hard drive technology.

Americans' knowledge of polar regions up, but not their concern Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:19 AM PST Americans' knowledge of facts about the polar regions of the globe has increased since 2006, but this increase in knowledge has not translated into more concern about changing polar environments, according to new research.

First remote-control leg lengthening implant cleared by the FDA Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:19 AM PST A revolutionary new limb lengthening system developed by orthopedic surgeons represents a major advancement in the treatment of limb deformities.

New anti-aging treatments make it easier to turn back the clock Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST As we age, our skin undergoes a number of changes affecting its texture, volume and appearance. Fortunately, dermatologists can use fillers or lasers to correct the most notable signs of aging and can recommend skin care products with added ingredients that can further repair damaged skin.

Study of live human neurons reveals Parkinson's origins Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST Parkinson's disease researchers have discovered how mutations in the parkin gene cause the disease, which afflicts at least 500,000 Americans and for which there is no cure.

Low-cost instrument developed by high school students could aid severe weather research Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST A group of high school students designed, built and tested a low-cost device that monitors the buildup of electrical charge in clouds. A network of such field mill devices could be used to learn more about the lightning that is part of severe weather.

Why bad immunity genes survive: Study implicates arms race between genes and germs Posted: 07 Feb 2012 09:18 AM PST Biologists have found new evidence for why mice, people and other vertebrate animals carry thousands of varieties of genes to make immune-system proteins named MHCs -- even though some of those genes make us sick.

Neanderthal demise due to many influences, including cultural changes Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:01 AM PST Although many anthropologists believe that modern humans ancestors "wiped out" Neanderthals, it's more likely that Neanderthals were integrated into the human gene pool thousands of years ago during the Upper Pleistocene era as cultural and climatic forces brought the two groups together.

The dark path to antisocial personality disorder Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST With no lab tests to guide the clinician, psychiatric diagnostics is challenging and controversial. Antisocial personality disorder is defined as "a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood," according to a standard definition. But, until now, no one has studied the dimensional structure associated with the DSM antisocial personality disorder criteria.

Why the middle finger has such a slow connection Posted: 07 Feb 2012 07:00 AM PST Each part of the body has its own nerve cell area in the brain -- we therefore have a map of our bodies in our heads. The functional significance of these maps is largely unclear. What effects they can have is now shown by neuroscientists through reaction time measurements combined with learning experiments and "computational modeling." They have been able to demonstrate that inhibitory influences of neighboring "finger nerve cells" affect the reaction time of a finger.

Rapid bone loss as possible side effect of anti-obesity drug Posted: 07 Feb 2012 06:56 AM PST An endocrine hormone used in clinical trials as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetes drug causes significant and rapid bone loss in mice, raising concerns about its safe use, researchers have shown.

New stinky flower: Our amorphophallus is smaller, but it stinks like its big cousin Posted: 07 Feb 2012 06:55 AM PST The famed "corpse flower" plant – known for its giant size, rotten-meat odor and phallic shape – has a new, smaller relative: A botanist has discovered a new species of Amorphophallus that is one-fourth as tall but just as stinky.

Engineers boost computer processor performance by over 20 percent Posted: 07 Feb 2012 06:55 AM PST Researchers have developed a new technique that allows graphics processing units (GPUs) and central processing units (CPUs) on a single chip to collaborate – boosting processor performance by an average of more than 20 percent.

Redder ladybirds more deadly, say scientists Posted: 06 Feb 2012 06:42 PM PST A ladybird's color indicates how well-fed and how toxic it is, according to scientists. This research directly shows that differences between animals' warning signals reveal how poisonous individuals are to predators. The study shows that redder ladybirds are more poisonous than their paler peers and reveals that this variation is directly linked to diet in early life, with better-fed ladybirds being more visible and more deadly.

Invasive alien predator causes rapid declines of European ladybugs Posted: 06 Feb 2012 06:42 PM PST A new study provides compelling evidence that the arrival of the invasive non-native harlequin ladybird (ladybug) to mainland Europe and subsequent spread has led to a rapid decline in historically-widespread species of ladybird in Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. The analysis is further evidence that harlequin ladybirds are displacing some native ladybirds, most probably through predation and competition.

Smoking associated with more rapid cognitive decline in men Posted: 06 Feb 2012 01:46 PM PST Smoking in men appears to be associated with more rapid cognitive decline, according to a new report.

Nanorod-assembled order affects diffusion rate and direction Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:26 AM PST Scientists studied the movements of a spherical probe amongst static nanorods. They found that the particles sometimes diffused faster in a nematic environment than in a disordered environment. That is, the channels left open between the ordered nanorods don't just steer nanoparticles along a direction, they also enable them to speed right through.

The butterfly effect in nanotech medical diagnostics Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:26 AM PST Tiny metallic nanoparticles that shimmer in the light like the scales on a butterfly's wing are set to become the color-change components of a revolutionary new approach to point-of-care medical diagnostics, according to a new study.

Sharp images from the living mouse brain Posted: 06 Feb 2012 09:24 AM PST Scientists have for the first time made finest details of nerve cells in the brain of a living mouse visible.

Zinc linked to breast cancer: Insight into body's zinc controls has implications for disease Posted: 06 Feb 2012 07:29 AM PST Zinc has long been known to play a vital part in human health. However, the mechanisms for delivering zinc into cells are not well understood. New research has identified one switch which allows zinc to flow. This has implications for a number of diseases, including aggressive types of breast cancer.

Researchers develop method of directing stem cells to increase bone formation and bone strength Posted: 06 Feb 2012 06:26 AM PST Scientists have developed a novel technique to enhance bone growth by using a molecule which, when injected into the bloodstream, directs the body's stem cells to travel to the surface of bones.

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